London September 2012

personally i am leery about visiting London and even anywhere in England anywhere close to the games. I would expect people who are there for the Games would stay on (or arrive early) to combine a little sightseeing while they are there. There have also been predictions about hotel and restaurant prices being high. But thats all guessing 6 days is nowhere enough to see London. 6 years may come close. However if its six days or nothing, then grab the six days

In general,I think after the Olypics would be good
6 days is ok for just London but if you want to venture outside of London you really need more time

Agree with Brian. Go 10 to 14 days after the closing ceremony. You can get a really good flavor for the city in 6 days. I don't know how many times I've been to London, usually for a week, and there's still lots to redo. Rick's London book is excellent and I'd recommend taking a street wise map of London. (www.streetwisemaps.com) I can't find my way out of a paper sack but these maps help even me!

The Olympics end Aug 12, and Paralympics don't attract the crowds that the Olympics do. Previous host cities have found that the number of visitors is sometimes FEWER than normal because a lot of tourists stay away for fear of inflated hotel prices, crowds, etc. Likewise, some London pundits are predicting fewer visitors than normal during the Olympics: http://goo.gl/QDQoE http://goo.gl/3LeIr I think you will be fine if you go Sept 10 or 11. As to whether 6 days is enough, if that is all you have, then you can certainly see a lot during that time.

Thanks for all the great input! I am feeling better now about visiting early September.
What are the must see sites? We have been to Westminster Abby, and just a qiick drive around the city. Other than that this will be a first visit to stay. Also any suggestions on where to stay? We like nice, but not over the top. And within walking distance to places of interest would be good. Thanks!!!!!!

To help you plan, I recommend buying the guide TimeOut London, picking up the weekly magazine at any newsstand once you reach London, or viewing it online: http://www.timeout.com/london/ Also look at the londontown website: http://www.londontown.com/ Be sure to take advantage of 2for 1 discounts: http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/2for1-london http://www.londontoolkit.com/briefing/travelcard_oyster.htm As for where to stay, that's a matter of personal preference, and there are hundreds of hotels and B&Bs to choose from. Most tourist sights are in Zone 1, with a handful in Zone 2. So anywhere in Zone 1 or 2 would work. Here's a bit about London neighborhoods: http://www.letsgo.com/12432-great_britain-travel-guides-london-neighborhood_overviews-c Where you stay also depends on your budget. $150-$200/night is about average for a decent centrally located hotel. You can get lower prices by bidding on Priceline or using a website like wotif: http://www.wotif.com/

Thanks Margaret, Wonderful info that I will find very useful.

Hello Mary. In London, I recently liked being at a hotel located near the High Street Kensington station of London Underground trains. And near Church Street Kensington. From there, people can travel in the London Underground trains to any part of central London, including St. Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London. And, if you will fly from London Heathrow Airport to the United States of America, going from a hotel located near High Street Kensington to Heathrow airport, via Paddington railroad station, does not take much time. In London, I liked the Museum of London (I walked to it from the St. Paul's station of London Underground). And I very much liked walking through Windsor Castle (royal palace). Ride in trains from London to Windsor and Eaton central station. I think the travel guide book "Rick Steves' LONDON" is very good. Reading it can help make a trip to London more enjoyable.

Dear May,
We have stayed in London in May, 2009, May, 2010 and September, 2011. We have always stayed at the Crowne Plaza, South Kensington (100 Cromwell). It is a Priority Club point hotel. It is part of Holiday Inn's and Intercontinetnal, etc. hotel chain. The hotel is centraly located. The south Kensington area is a very good area to stay in. It is directly across the street from the Glocester tube station. It is just one stop away from Harrod's Dept. store. Harrod's has delicious food. Their lunch buffett up stairs is lovely. So is their tea in the afternoon. We have eaten on the first floor for delicous fish and chips. They have many choices for eating. London is absolutely wonderful.

Mary, let me be the first to recommend the London Walks tours - I've done a number including one of the pub walks, and they are great. As for sights to see - there are hundreds! Without knowing your interests it's hard to make recommendations. I always enjoy seeing a show - just not on the first night. The Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower is fascinating, but you need to order your tickets several months ahead of time. Get Rick's London book and read through it to find out what seems most interesting to you - art, history, gardens, shopping... Six days sounds like a good start; you will be able to get settled in and see a lot. But there will always be more to see and do! Have a great trip-

I've taken many vacations to London and the UK, and I would purposely avoid going this year, if I were youunless you were going to make it to the games or had a specific event you wanted to attend. From what I hear, prices have been rising for a while in anticipation of all the tourism. And September isn't the cheapest time to visit under normal circumstances. The big eventsJubiliee and the Olympicswill be over, but it may still be more crowded and more expensive than normal. And it isn't a cheap vacation to begin with.

My husband and I are also planning on traveling to the UK in September, and were wondering the exact same thing! We're planning on flying in on the 1st and staying through the 15th (perhaps open jaw in to Scotland and out of London). We should keep each other in the loop when any good airfare deals appear.

Hi Zea, Not sure if watching airfares together works, as we will be flying out of Toronto.
Hope you have a great holiday!!!!!

Just saw this article. Slightly off-topic since it refers to room availability during the Olympics. It does, however, indicate that London may not be as crowded during the Olympics as initially anticipated which could affect the decision to visit London in September: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16780962